THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine is hoping God will speak to the Minister of Finance so that Tobago is allocated a higher percent in the 2023-2024 budget presentation on October 2nd.
The Assembly has requested $4.54 billion from the central government.
Augustine stated recently that Tobago would love if the figure this year was closer to 6.9 per cent as recommended by the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), rather than the lower end of 4.03 per cent.
“The country would love it if something unusual happens and we get closer to the medium point of around five per cent.”
He said: “I am hopeful that in this budget God will speak to the Minister of Finance in the middle of the night, trouble his sleep, cause him not to sleep day nor night until he comes to that resting place of deciding that Tobago should get closer towards the medium point of the range recommended and approved by the parliament in the DRC report of 2001.”
For fiscal 2022-2023, the THA requested an allocation of $3.97 billion from central government but received $2.5 billion.